​To start, let me say how much I appreciate your books. Your stories give military members and their families hope. I’ve read all your published fiction titles and each addresses actual problems military veterans face after returning from war. There may not be resolution to their problems, but your books show that they aren’t alone in the fight.

The first book in The Falling Series, Before I Fall, introduces Parker as a “Ralph Lauren Poster Girl.” She is seen as young, naïve, and financially well-off. In this new book, After I Fall, readers get to know her story. What made you want to write her the way you did? I wanted to push myself to take a character that I didn’t really like and see if I could start to like her and then build her to be someone who could get a happily ever after. She was a stretch for me.

Trust plays a central role for all of your characters—and probably for most people. Why do you think it is so difficult for returning vets to trust that no matter what happened downrange they are still loved and lovable? Trust is critical for any relationship. It’s no different for vets coming home. I think soldiers are used to a certain level of trust and also expectations from their brothers and sisters in arms that’s…not missing but it’s different in the civilian community.

What part does forgiveness play? Forgiveness doesn’t mean forgetting but it does mean trying not to focus on the past. To legitimately move beyond the past and live for the future. It’s incredibly important to being able to live in the now.

The Pint is a bar you liken to the TV sitcom Cheers, a place where “everybody knows your name,” according to the theme song. How important is that post-military camaraderie to returning vets’ emotional health? We know from multiple studies that veterans (and anyone struggling with PTS) are more likely to recover (and that term means many different things) if they have a strong support group. There’s something comforting about being around people who speak your language, who have chewed the same dirt. There’s a feeling of fit that is unique to being around other vets, a feeling of being home.

Is that a role the VFW, DAV, and similar veterans’ organizations can fill today? I don’t know, honestly. I think advocacy is still critically needed and many of the older veteran’s organizations need to adjust to account for the diversity of people who served in the current wars.

Is there anything else you’d like my readers to know? I know my books aren’t for everyone and that’s okay. One thing I hope that readers will take away is a genuine attempt to give voice to the challenges we face when coming home and the diversity of voices telling today’s “war stories”

Learn more about Jessica Scott by going to her web site, jessicascott.net where you will find links to Amazon, ibooks, Google play, kobo, Barnes & Noble, and Nook. You can also sign up for her newsletter there.

War is unpopular for many reasons and is always so for those who lose loved ones to it. But lately, again, I have heard that the war in Iraq was/is a stupid waste for Americans. I disagree, though I would say that is has been costly, not only in dollars, but in lives. So why do young men and women want to be soldiers? Why should we, do we fight any battle? According to Mark Gerzon, in his book A Choice of Heroes: The Changing Faces of American Manhood, “the Soldier was a heroic image of masculinity. He was the protector, the man who made the difference between survival and annihilation. He was the man who defended his loved ones and the entire community. He symbolized security. He was the man who did not hide from danger, who did not give in to fear. The Soldier was willing to risk his own life in order to protect those he loved. In virtually every cultural system, the Soldier was a hero because without him, that system could not endure.” (pg.31) I will pause here for a feminist announcement: today, the term Soldier has no gender boundaries. I want to tell you what happened to my husband last week. He is a Vietnam Vet who came home, married me, went to college, and became a minister. Since February 2011 he has nearly died twice: the first time was due to a brain bleed and the second was due to severe atrial fibrillation. The A-fib was so severe that his heart was no longer beating, it was vibrating. He now has two tumors in his spine and recently had one the size of a two inch thick cell phone removed from his back. Here is where I thank Agent Orange exposure for compromising his health. After the brain bleed he could no longer function as a pastor so he built a hot dog cart and took his ministry to the street. Last Tuesday he was at his cart, which he stations between the post office and the electric company. He looked up to see a young Hispanic woman pushing a child around eighteen months old in a stroller and pulling an older toddler along behind. For no apparent reason, two teenaged black girls ran up behind her and began assaulting her. My husband shouted at them, which allowed the victim to escape and run toward the electric company. Unfortunately, the black girls caught up with her and began beating her again. One threw the baby out of the stroller, and kicked the child. My husband, and two older men who came out of the electric company office, jumped into the fray to save the girl and her children. This all occurred while two twenty-something Hispanic men offering people free Obama phones looked on doing nothing - not even calling the police with their free phones. When the two black girls ran off, my husband called 911 and the girls were caught a few minutes later. Come to find out, they had been at the bus station earlier and had run up behind elderly people, knocked them down, kicked them, and then run off. I don’t know what made them the way they are, but I hope they can get past it while they are locked up. What I am trying to convey here is that people of honor and courage step in to help those who are unable to defend themselves. My husband whose physical body isn’t in the finest condition didn’t think twice about doing it, nor would I have. I really hope all of my children and grandchildren are the same; I know the oldest ones are - the younger ones it’s a little early to tell. Those young men at the Obama phone table who failed to act and failed to even call the police brought shame on themselves, their families, and the community at large. The wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and wherever else our leaders decide we should intervene are not simply so we can buy cheap oil or obtain some other natural resource. In every country human beings are consistently denied basic human rights, mistreated, and killed. Last week I had dinner with a retired American diplomat who was sent to Iraq after Saddam Hussein was ousted. He was with a general and some others when they entered the palace where one of Saddam’s sons lived. He saw a courtyard with a massive hot-tub that could easily seat twenty-five people. Across from it were ten cages holding lions and in each cage were human bones. Apparently the parties were large and entertainment included watching live humans being devoured by lions. Is there any real difference between two black teens assaulting a young mother and baby and one of Saddam’s sons? As I see it there is only a difference in quantity. Two black girls may have forever changed the lives of a few people who will be fearful of being attacked maybe for the rest of their lives. Saddam and his sons had the power to do the same on a much larger playing field with many more potential victims. We fight to protect those who are unable to protect themselves. It is honorable, though horrific. It is noble and just, though costly. Would I feel the same if my husband had been killed? Absolutely. Will I feel the same if my oldest grandson who is in the Army gives his life on the battlefield? I will grieve horribly: he will always be Grandma’s baby. But I will still believe in the greater good; that to defend those who cannot defend themselves is worthy of sacrifice.

The thing that worries me the most about men - besides bodily functions (read previous post) - is that they too are troubled by body image. Let's face it, isn't that partly what steroid use is about? In case you're not aware, an article in Journal of the American Medical Association noted that in a study of steroid users, more than one third stated that “they were fifteen or younger when they first used steroids and many users reported appearance, rather than performance, as their reason for taking the drugs.”[1] Just like girls think they need to have large breasts to attract boys, males feel that they need to have the solid muscle mass of a body-builder to attract females. Let's face it: there is some truth there. Who doesn't appreciate a work of art? Aah, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, you say. Very true. In fact, many women fear men who have hyper-masculinized, muscle-bound bodies. The real question is this: if a person is attracted to you only because of your physical attributes (or your money, the car you drive, whatever) how long will that relationship last? All relationships need to be built on who the people are as human beings - not what they look like. Yes our DNA probably programs our sub-conscious minds to locate the best partner for breeding purposes - survival of the species. But our conscious minds need to look beyond that and find the best human beings because, let's face it, if a handsome man (or beautiful woman) creates a child, but does not have the qualities that make a good parent, some poor kid (or kids) gets short changed.

This is my first posting on my first blog, so let me introduce myself. My name is Kathleen Chapman, but because there are so many people with the same moniker, I go by k.b. I consider myself to be an expert on the subject of men - masculinity, manhood, and fatherhood - not because I've studied it (though I have), but because I've been married to the same man a long, long time. I grew up with a father and a brother, and mostly hung out with the guys, playing army, football, and basketball. I dated a variety of men and boys, and spent inordinate amounts of time with my grandsons. My first job was working in a warehouse, my second was in construction, and I spent most of my career working with men in what is traditionally considered to be a man's industry. What this all means is that I spent a lot of time with members of the male species - thus my expertise.

Some of what I'll say on this blog will be important and perhaps add to the ongoing conversation about gender. I will also bring up thought provoking questions and insights about men, and on occasion, fun facts about the species.

Fun Fact #1 - All males are born with a deep love for burping, farting, eating, pooping, and sleeping. This I noticed with my grandsons who as newborns, laughed every single time.

Not so Fun Fact #2 - This does not change no matter how old they get. As they mature they just get better at blaming others for doing them. Just a couple of weeks ago, on Christmas Day, my husband was sleeping in a chair while I supervised a 19 month old nephew on a rocking horse. All of a sudden I got a whiff of stinkiness and asked the little guy if he'd farted. Without missing a rock, he pointed his little finger at my sleeping husband. It happened again a few minutes later, but this time was much stinkier. When I asked, he again pointed to my husband. This time I called his mother to come change his britches.

It's all true. Another thing that's true is that I don't want to waste your time, so I'll keep these posts short. Today's post was just to let you get know me a little. I'll be posting again next Monday, so join me then for something with intellectual content.

By the way... you're invited to leave comments so we can dialog. The only request I have is that they be respectful, because I don't want to have to write about cyber-bullying. Also, if you're interested, check out the tab that says My Library for the stuff I've read and recommend.